


I Didn't Know My Heart Could Beat This Fast

by nightsofsilver



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Violence, jihoon panics for a hot second, not extremely bloody but people get attacked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:41:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23606224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightsofsilver/pseuds/nightsofsilver
Summary: You've survived the end of the world, you're bound to break at some point.
Relationships: Lee Jihoon | Woozi/Lee Seokmin | DK
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	I Didn't Know My Heart Could Beat This Fast

**Author's Note:**

> Mind the tags!  
> Would recommend [Breaking Down](https://youtu.be/QmBaZKYEXN8) \- Day6 and their entire Entropy album to listen to while reading this

It was supposed to be a normal day, unusual only because it was a Saturday and although Seokmin loathed to give up his weekends, Geunhae had called him the night before, obviously quite sick and in need of someone to cover his shift. 

Back then he was kind and naive, instantly offering to cover for a sick coworker even if it meant giving up a few extra hours of sleep. It was a decision that ultimately saved his life. 

He opens the small convenience store on the edge of Seoul at 8 am on the dot. He’s been trying to reach his coworker Junhwi for the last half an hour, but to no avail. Seokmin frowns, setting down his phone on the countertop behind the register. It’s really not like Junhwi to skip out on work without calling in first, or to not answer his phone. 

He turns over to look at his the small TV, the reporter is droning on about this and that, a murder overnight, a merger of two top food companies. For whatever reason it irritates Seokmin, the news is always the same. He switches the channel to a cooking show and relaxes back against a wall of cigarettes and tobacco behind him, locked away from the rest of the store. 

No one comes through for a few hours, which is a little surprising, but Seokmin assumes he’ll at least get a few people coming in by lunchtime. At around 1 pm he gets his first customer. It’s a boy around his age, and as the boy pulls back his hood and runs a hand through his short black hair Seokmin concludes he’s a very  _ cute _ boy. 

The boy immediately heads for the refrigerators in the back of the store and Seokmin stands up straight, trying in vain to smooth out the wrinkles in his uniform. The boy comes up to the register after a few minutes, Seokmin giving him a bright smile and getting a polite nod in return. Seokmin starts scanning the boy’s items wordlessly, stopping on a bottle of Soju. 

“Looks like you have a fun night planned.” 

The boy shrugs, “Not really. Had a long week at work and just want to relax today.” 

Seokmin nods, “I know the feeling.” 

He bags up the rest of the boy’s items and accepts his payment. He’s not a quiet person, quite the opposite actually, but when it comes to flirting he hasn’t the faintest idea of how to go about it. The boy walks away before Seokmin can say anything more, lifting his ringing phone to his ear as he exits the store. Seokmin sighs, gaze drifting back to his cooking show. The boy suddenly strides back into the store, talking loudly into his phone. 

“Hold up- no Kihyun please slow down I can’t understand you… What?” 

He looks up at Seokmin, gaze sharp. 

“Do you have a TV back there?” 

Seokmin nods, more than a bit confused. 

“Please turn on the news channel, I need to see something.” 

Seokmin reaches out a hand and switches back to the news channel. The boy leans over the counter, eyes going wide as the screen shows downtown Seoul, but instead of pedestrians peacefully milling the sidewalks and cars driving down the main road, there is chaos. 

Cars are stopped in the middle of the road, some crashed into the sides of buildings, people running and screaming in terror. Seokmin peers at the screen, blinking when he sees that they are running from... each other? He blinks, most of the people are running from a few scattered individuals. It reminds Seokmin of a game he used to play in primary school and he wants to laugh, but something about the situation halts the mirth bubbling up inside of him. 

There is definitely something off about the people attacking the pedestrians, but Seokmin can’t quite put his finger on it. The camera seems to be held by a news reporter and it suddenly turns left, pointing at a young woman who has fallen onto the ground only fifteen feet or so away.

One of the attackers veers towards her, jumping on top of her as she struggles to stand back up. The boy next to him inhales sharply as the attacker attempts to strangle the woman, leaning down and... did they just bite her? The whole situation seems so strange Seokmin can barely process it, unable to look away from the TV screen for even a moment. 

A young boy runs by the struggling figures and the attacker stands up, abandoning their victim. The woman who had been attacked stands up and Seokmin sighs in relief. He is struck with fear though, as the woman darts forward and jumps at whoever is behind the camera. It’s a blur of bloody clothes and blue sky for a few seconds, then the camera shuts off. The TV refocuses on the in house new reporter, who now looks quite alarmed. The boy next to him takes a deep breath in. 

“What. The. Fuck.” 

He holds his phone up but the person on the other side has hung up already. 

“Listen,” the boy says, “I don’t know what’s going on out there, but I think we need to leave. My place isn’t far from here, you coming?” 

Seokmin blanks, mind still reeling from the disturbing broadcast. The boy turns away starting to head out the doors. 

“Wait!” 

Seokmin leaps over the counter and jogs after him, “I’m coming with you!” 

The streets are eerily quiet as they walk the few blocks to the boy’s apartment. Seokmin hunches up his shoulders, it feels like someone is going to jump out an alleyway and attack them any minute. 

He turns towards the boy. 

“So, what’s your name?” 

“My name is Lee Jihoon.”

That was five months ago. A lot has changed since then. Korea has been overrun with zombies. Or at least that’s what people call them. They aren’t undead, like in the movies and TV shows Seokmin used to watch, but they aren’t 100% human anymore. It’s hard to get information nowadays, most people keep to themselves in small camps, too wary of the threat of being Turned to let many people in. 

Seokmin and Jihoon had somehow made it out of Seoul alive, though it’s not a memory Seokmin looks back on fondly. They make quite a team and have managed to join up with a small group of survivors on the coast. As usual nowadays they are on patrol, venturing out in small groups of two or three to scavenge small villages and keep an eye on the number of zombies in their area. 

Unfortunately for them they’ve chosen a village that’s quite infested and they had darted into the nearest building after being faced with a group of six zombies. Zombies are especially attracted to noise and the sound of gunfire is sure to bring any more in the area running for a chance at a meal. 

The shelter they had chosen happens to be a small convenience store and Seokmin’s heart aches for the past as he darts towards the back of the building. He quickly pushes Jihoon into the bathrooms and locks the door behind them. 

He presses his ear to the door, hearing a faint scuffle of feet and a low growl. It’s a little far off and eventually the sounds fade. Seokmin turns around, closing his eyes and trying to calm his racing heart. 

“It sounds like the zombies are gone,” he starts to say in a low whisper, “but we should stay in here for a little longer so that the ones in the area have time to clean out. Lucky we picked a convenience store huh? I bet we can take back so many supplies… maybe they’ll even have my favorite brand of chips!” 

Seokmin looks up, finally taking note of how pale Jihoon looks. 

“You doing okay there Ji?” 

Jihoon’s hands are in tight fists by his sides and his voice wavers as he finally speaks up. 

“That. That was Lee Shinhye.” 

Seokmin frowns, “Who?” 

“She… we dated a few years back. And I just shot her.” 

He backs up rapidly, until he hits the stone wall across the room. His hands come to the sides of his head and the expression on his face turns into one of shock. 

“Jihoon…” 

“I.  _ Shot her. _ In the face!” 

Seokmin steps forward cautiously, hands held out in a placating manner. 

“Jihoon, she was going to kill you, or turn you. She isn’t… exactly herself anymore.” 

Jihoon chokes out a laugh. 

“Yeah, that’s kind of obvious.” 

He rubs his hands over his eyes, a low groan building up in his throat. 

“I don’t. What am I doing? What are we doing here?” 

“We’re on patrol Jihoon.” 

“No, we’re stuck in a bathroom in the middle of nowhere, I just shot my ex, and we’re going get EATEN by ZOMBIES.” 

Jihoon is getting quite loud now, which is really not good. Seokmin speaks in a low voice, trying to get him to calm down. 

“We’re not going to get eaten. We’ve made it this far together, we can get out of here just fine.” 

Jihoon doesn't answer, just slides down against the wall until he’s sitting on the floor. Seokmin thinks they’re in the clear, that is until Jihoon throws his head back, letting it slam against the wall behind him and letting out an ear-piercing scream. 

Well now they are really fucked. Seokmin dives forward, shaking Jihoon’s frame, trying to get him to  _ shut up _ before they really do get eaten. It seems to work because Jihoon suddenly goes quiet. 

He lifts his head and he honestly doesn’t look all the way there, eyes dark and hollow. What had Seokmin’s history teacher Mr. Kwon always said? Don't fight fire with fire? Well Mr. Kwon was probably dead by now and Jihoon needed to calm down fast before they both got killed. 

Jihoon opens his mouth, probably to scream again, but before he can Seokmin yanks the older boy forward by the fabric of his shirt and kisses him. Jihoon instantly freezes, silent and unmoving. 

Seokmin is about to pull away when Jihoon suddenly starts to press back against him, hands clasping together around the back of Seokmin's neck and pulling him closer. It’s desperate and unsynchronized, but Jihoon kisses him like he wants to burn Seokmin’s taste into his memory. When they’ve both finally run out of air Seokmin pulls away, leaning forward until their foreheads are pressed together. 

“Breathe Ji,” he gasps, “just breathe, okay?” 

Jihoon obeys, relaxing further with each deep breath in. Seokmin gives him a few minutes to collect himself, they’ve probably got time to spare. He moves back and Jihoon’s arms fall limp at his sides. Seokmin pats him gently on the shoulder.

"You good now?" 

Jihoon still looks a little pale but all the tension has bled out of his frame and the blank look in his eyes is gone.

"Yeah, I'm good, or something close. I’m- uh. Thank you." 

“Of course, I can't have my partner in crime going insane on me in the middle of an apocalypse.” 

Jihoon nods, standing to his feet as Seokmin moves away. Seokmin takes a look at his watch, it’s been about twenty minutes since they entered the town. He hears the sink turn on behind him, looking back to see Jihoon splashing some water on his face and cleaning out the cuts on his arm. They keep quiet for another fifteen minutes or so before Seokmin dares to poke his head out of the bathroom door. 

"Alright then the coast looks clear. Just grab a few things and let’s go home." 

"Seokmin wait-" 

"We'll talk later okay? Let's focus on surviving the next few hours first." 

Jihoon nods, hefting his rifle. 

"On the count of three.” 

One. 

Two. 

_ Three. _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Ok first off tell me if I've missed anythings in the tags  
> Partly inspired by a zombie apocalypse dream I had a few nights ago and the random but wonderful idea of Seokmin kissing Jihoon to calm him down.  
> Damn though writing angst makes me emotional  
> But I hope you all enjoy anyways!
> 
> Kudos and comments very appreciated
> 
> Come yell at me on [twt](https://twitter.com/nightsofsilver)


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